Use of Psychedelics to treat Mental Illness

Use of Psychedelics to Treat Mental Illness
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Annotated Bibliography
Illing, S. (2018). Why psychedelic drugs could transform how we treat depression and
mental illness. Vox.
The article is an interview between Illings and Michael Pollan about the use of psychedelic drugs particularly ayahuasca. Pollan argues out that there is a difference between our brain and mind. He uses the mind to refer to an individual’s conscience. He argues out that the use of psychedelics causes “ego disillusion; a state where the sense of totality disappears. A person feels like they are out of this world. Pollan says that a drop-off in activity is seen on the default mode network (DMN) part of the brain when someone uses psychedelics. The DMN is responsible for building our identity over time. Its alteration makes us see ourselves in a different dimension. Pollan says that research is now getting conducted on the use of psychedelics to treat cancer patients with depressions. So far the outcome is more potent than any therapy sessions.
The research seems viable as its application is already yielding results at Johns Hopkins and NYU. The research is objective as it integrates the use of brain scans to support its research. The writer is reliable as his source Pollan seems to have done extensive research on the field. The source is both scholarly and popular as it narrates the author’s experience after using the psychedelic and also those of patients in a clinical trial.
Rettner, R.

(2018). These Psychedelic Drugs Show Promise for Treating Mental Health
Disorders. Live Science.
The author acknowledges that a doctor does not usually prescribe the drug uses. The study documents that small researches were undertaken have shown that when the drugs such as MDMA, psilocybin, and ayahuasca are combined with therapy, they tend to improve on symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. The author, however, says that more research should be undertaken to establish the ethical and legal issue of the drug use before fully exploiting its benefits. The journal is however scanty in research as the author relies on information from self-experience. The study is therefore biased, and it lacks the scientific proofs to back its stand on the subject.
Sessa, B. (2017). The psychedelic renaissance. London: Muswell Hill press.
The book starts by giving an in-depth explanation on what Why psychedelic drugs are; The term psychedelic means mind manifest. The drugs were used alongside hippie counterculture in the 1960s. The author makes a clarion call for the exploitation of the drugs for therapeutic use and backs the call with a thorough review of the evidence. The author says that the use of LSD, MDMA (‘ecstasy’), DMT, psilocybin, ayahuasca, peyote, ibogaine, and others can help to alleviate PTSD, autism, and cluster of headaches.
The study has thorough evidential backing thereby making it objective. The author is well conversant with the subject, and he exercises his knowledge on the subject eloquently to make a convincing argument.

References
Illing, S. (2018). Why psychedelic drugs could transform how we treat depression and
mental illness. Vox.Rettner, R. (2018). These Psychedelic Drugs Show Promise for Treating Mental Health
Disorders. Live Science.
Sessa, B. (2017). The psychedelic renaissance. London: Muswell Hill press.